I don't know any of the steps required for setting up a ppp serial 
connection (I know there is a howto on it though), but you may like to 
look at a parallel port connection as these perform considerably better 
than a serial one. I'm pretty sure there's a howto on setting this up.

Adrian

> Hi all,  (Cough - as its so quiet ;)
> 
> For a couple of independent users in a household and where both machines
> have limited IRQ's (old ISA machines where both have other peripherals
> and not network cards) is the following feasible under Linux ?
> 
> a.	Gateway machine (third machine) which is:-
> 	Cheap 486/133MHz with 32M ram, 2Gig HDD, no VGA card
> 	and 4 serial ports (16550 comp) and with appropriate
> 	s/w for email backup, web proxy where:-
> 	port 1	- connects to net via 56K modem
> 	port 2	- console port VT-100 compatable terminal (rare use)
> 	port 3  - connects to Machine A for user A at 115K baud
> 	port 4	- connects to Machine B for user B at 115K baud
> 
> b.	Machine A/User A
> 	Windows 95 machine with at least one serial port
> 	with 16550 compatible UART operating at 115K baud.
> 
> c.	Machine B/User B
> 	Windows 3.11 or Windows 95 machine with at least
> 	one serial port with 16550 compatible UART at 115K baud.
> 
> I'm exploring this as both machine A and B lack spare ints
> for the use of network cards :( and in any case web/email
> loading would not be excessive (each would have their own
> browser cache in any case)... (Could go to 56K for A/B if
> 115K not that good). There is no need at present to link
> Machine A and B together directly - but since there would/could
> be a TCP link - could this be done easily through the
> gateway machine for things like running games and (slowly!)
> sharing data - ie Browse each others drives etc
> 
> In essence, can links between machines (over 10-15 metres) be
> reliable enough using RS232 at 56K/115K - ie TCP over RS232 type
> links and can it be implemented without serious grief. Could
> either A or B make the gateway machine connect to net on demand
> basis ?
> 
> PS: Anyone got any 125/85VR16 and 125/90VR16 twin tyres, new or s/h ?
> 
> PPS: Anyone who knows Paul Repacholi who might like to visit him
> in RPH where he is recoving from a minor stroke...
> 
> 
> 
> Kind Regards  ~`:o)
> 
> Mike Massen
> Network Power Systems
> Perth, Western Australia  Ph/Fx +61 8 9444 8961 
> 
> Power system in Jungle, Twin tyre car, Differential gauge
> http://members.iinet.net.au/~erazmus/index.html
> 
> Some say there is no magic but, all things begin with thought then it 
becomes
> academic, then some poor slob works out a practical way to implement all 
that
> theory, this is called Engineering - for most people another form of 
magic.
> 
> 

